Ship construction with wedge joint and the like



Nov. 2, 1965 E. J. DE RIDDER 3,214,888

SHIP CONSTRUCTION WITH WEDGE JOINT AND THE LIKE Filed April 28. 1961 hag? HIS ATTORNEYS INVENTOR. DeRIDDER ERNST J.

FIG-4 United States Patent 3,214,888 SHIP CONSTRUCTION WITH WEDGE JOINT AND THE LIKE Ernst J. De Ridder, Henrico County, Va, assignor to Reynolds hietals Company, Richmond, Va., :1 corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 28, 1961, er. No. 106,309 8 Claims. (Cl. 52-499) This invention relates to a ship construction, With a wedge joint and the like.

More specifically, this invention provides side walls, floors, and other partitions suitable for use in constructing deckhouses or other enclosures. Such partitions may include extruded components which may be made of aluminous material, such as commercially pure aluminum and suitable alloys thereof, in such a manner that light and rugged constructions are provided.

Extruded channel members may be used which may be aligned and interlocked at their edges to form continuous partitions With transversely aligned edges. These edges may be received in supporting or attaching members which may be extruded open channel members of aluminous material to receive these transversely aligned edges.

These edges may be held and locked in the open channels by automatically locking members. The locking members may also be made of extrusions formed of aluminous material. In this manner, the side Walls, floors, and the like are made of light and strong material and in shapes which lend themselves to elfective and relatively low cost production.

The open channels and the automatically locking members may be extruded with longitudinally extending serrations or books which can be interlocked with each other by simple hammering operations, either manual, pneumatic, hydraulic, or the like.

The channel members which form the walls, floors, and other partitions may be extruded in a manner to form pivotal joint constructions at their sides which may include pivotal groove and pivotal lip formations at one edge of the side flanges and may have a hook or lock construction at the other edge of said side flanges. The construction is such that these channel members may be partially pivotally joined in series along their sides and then they may be pivoted into aligned condition with a snap hook action to hold the channel members in aligned and locked condition. They then may have their transverse edges inserted in open channel supporting or attaching members to secure the complete partition in place to form the deckhouse, or other edifice, or the like.

The partitions may be attached to a base, foundation, or deck in an efiicient manner, and they may also be aligned vertically or in any other direction such as to provide aligned upper and lower side walls for the deckhouse or other edifice or construction. The attachment means may be readily secured by simple hammering procedures.

The extrusions of this invention are relatively strong and are adapted to be made by relatively simple dies.

Accordingly, it is one of the objects of this invention to provide a ship deckhouse construction having one or more of the features herein disclosed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a construction having partitions with one or more of the features herein disclosed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a construction having extruded components having one or more of the features herein disclosed.

Another object of this invention is to provide extrusions having one or more of the features herein disclosed.

3,214,888 Patented Nov. 2, 1965 Another object of this invention is to provide a method of assembling a frame member, a partition and a locking member having one or more of the features herein disclosed.

Other objects are apparent from this description and/ or the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view, in perspective of a partition assembly, with parts broken away or omitted, to permit better illustration thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a cross section transversely along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, with certain parts broken away and with certain parts added.

FIGURE 3 is a cross section somewhat similar to FIG- URE 2, but taken transversely along the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic end view transverse to the channel members of a partition and showing the pivotal joining and locking along the sides of the channel members.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view emblematic of an edifice utilizing this invention, such as a ships deckhouse.

This invention may include a construction such as a ship construction or the like, as diagrammatically shown in FIGURE 5. Such a construction may have a ship deck, foundation, or other supporting structure 22. If desired, the deck or foundation may be made of steel sheet, or of any other material. It may be carried by a suitable supporting structure, ships hull 24, or the like.

An enclosure or construction, such as a deckhouse 26 or the like, may be secured above the deck or other supporting structure.

The enclosure or deckhouse 26 may include a plurality of partitions, such as Walls, or floors. For example, the deckhouse may have lower side walls 28, upper side walls 39, floor 32, roof 34, and any other desired partitions or the like. The plan view of the deckhouse may be rectangular or of any other desired shape.

Some of the partitions may be made of aligned and interlocked channel members 36, FIGURE 4. These channel members may be extrusions, such as of aluminous material, in the form of main bodies, plates, or the like, 38, which have integral flanges, sides or the like 40 and 42, and strengthening ribs 43, if desired.

These extrusions or channel members 36 may be aligned and interlocked with each other by pivotal joint constructions 44 at one of the edges of the flanges 40 and 42, and by locking joint constructions or flange bends 46 and 48 at the other edges of flanges 40 and 42.

The flange bend as may be substantially flat and the flange bend 48 may be mainly flat with a hook or lock 50 at its edge.

The pivotal joint constructions 44 may include a pivotal groove formation 52 at one side adjacent the juncture of body 38 and flange 4t) and a pivotal lip formation 54 at the other side adjacent the juncture of the body 38 and flange 42.

The channel members 36 may be interlocked as shown in FIGURE 4. First the lip 54 of one channel 36 is partially or initially inserted in the groove 52 of another channel 36, as shown at the right side of FIGURE 4. The rightmost channel member 36 is about to be interlocked with the adjacent or intermediate channel member 36, and is in a slanting and pivoting condition with respect to the previously interlocked and aligned channel members 36 at the left side of FIGURE 4.

The rightmost channel 36 is pivoted clockwise about the partially completed joint construction 44 until the flange 40 is made contiguous with the flange 42 and the flange bend 46 is made contiguous with the flange bend 48 with its outer edge 56 locked or snapped by the hook 59, as shown in the left joint 44 of FIGURE 4. Suitable tools and the like may be used to aid in joining these members together into the condition shown in the left side of FIGURE 4. These tools may bring the flanges 40 and 42 together, the flange bends 46 and 48 together, and edge 56 snapped into engagement with the hook 50, as shown in the left joint 44 of FIGURE 4.

The required number of channel members 36 may be aligned and interlocked to form partitions of the required length for erection of duplicate pairs of side walls 28 and 30 of the deckhouse 26 shown in FIGURE 5, or any other walls or floors desired.

As shown in FIGURES 1-3, a deckhouse lower side Wall or partition 28 may include a plurality of vertically disposed, aligned, and interlocked channel members 36 with upper transversely or horizontally aligned edges 58. A deckhouse upper side wall or partition 30 may include a plurality of vertically disposed, aligned, and interlocked channel members 36 with lower transversely or horizontally aligned edges 60.

A double sided, double channel shaped member or H shaped frame member 62 may extend horizontally along the entire length of the walls 28 and 30 and may hold the side walls 28 and 30 together in aligned condition.

The member 62 may have a horizontally disposed and upwardly open or U shaped channel 64 and a horizontally disposed and downwardly open or U shaped channel 66.

The upwardly open channel 64 may have pairs of sides or flanges 68 and 70. The downwardly open channel 66 may have pairs of sides or flanges 72 and 74. A common partition or bottom wall 76 forms the bottoms of the channels 72 and 74.

An integral horizontal floor support means or shelf 78 on the H shaped frame member 62 forms a support for the floor 32 which extends across the deckhouse between the side walls. The floor 32 may be formed by a plurality of I beams 79 with their upper wide flanges 80 aligned and abutting each other to form an even surfaced floor. The lower narrow flanges 82 of the I beams 79 may be secured at its ends to the opposite shelves 78 by rivets 85 or the like.

However, if desired, the floor 32 may be made of interlocked channel members 36 by riveting the ends of flange bends 46 and 48 to the shelves 78 at each side of the deckhouse.

The member 62 may be an integral extrusion made of aluminous material. The shelf 78 may be aligned and integral with the bottom wall 76.

The inner surfaces of the sides 70 and 72 of the member 62 may be serrated and have longitudinal and integral serrations or hooks 83 and 85 for a purpose elsewhere described.

The downwardly open channel 66 of member 62 may fit over and receive the upper horizontally aligned edges 58 of the lower side wall 36. The lower edges 60 of the upper side wall 30 may be received and held within the upwardly open channel 64 of member 62.

Automatically locking members 84 and 86 may secure and lock the upper horizontally aligned edges 58 of the lower wall 28 within the downwardly open channel 66 and may secure and lock the lower horizontally aligned edges 60 within the upwardly open channel 64.

The locking members 84 may each be a solid unitary wedge with diverging sides 90 and 92 with one of the sides, such as side 90, having a hooking serrated surface, as shown, which cooperates with the hooking serrations 83 and 85 on one of the sides respectively of the open channels 64 and 66.

The wedges 84 may be driven or hammered in between the sides 70 and/or 72 of member 62 and the flange bends 48 of the interlocked channels 36. The wedges 84 may be downwardly hammered adjacent the side 70 and may be upwardly hammered adjacent the side 72. The serrations 90, 83, and 85 automatically lock the channel members 36 within the open channels 64 and 66 respectively to hold them against outward movement. The wedges 84 may be unitary extrusions with integral extruded longitudinal serrations at side 90. The extrusions may be of aluminous material.

The locking members 86 may be generally H shaped, each with attaching or locking sides 94 and 96 and a bridging or bowed member also designated by the numeral 86 which bridges the sides 94 and 96. The members 86 may be unitary extrusions with integral extruded longitudinal hooking serrations at 94, as shown.

The locking members 86 may be hammered upwardly or downwardly, as the case may be, to force the sides 94 and 96 respectively against the sides 70 or 72 of member 62 and against the insides of the bodies 38 of the channels 36. The bodies 38 of the channels 36 in turn are forced or wedged against the sides 68 or 74 of the member 62. This locks and secures the edges 58 and 60 of the side walls 28 and 30 within the member 62 to prevent such side walls from pulling out of the channels 64 and 66.

The bowed or bridge members 86 which connect the two sides 94 and 96 may be deformed at 87 either before such members are inserted in the open channels 64 and 66, or they may be deformed during the hammering operation. This deformation aids in driving and wedging members 86 in place.

Before the side walls 28 and 30 are inserted in the open channels 64 and 66, adhesive may be applied to produce an adhering action between the walls 28-30 and the member 62. For example, adhesive may be applied to one or both of the matching surfaces at 98, 100, 102 of the upper wall 30 and correspondingly numbered surfaces of the lower wall 28. This adhesive is applied so that it may not set or cure before the parts have been properly assembled.

The lower edge 106 of the lower side wall 28 of the deckhouse may be secured to the deck or other support 22 in any desired manner. For example, a channel shaped member 108 may be extruded into the shape of the upper open channel part 64 of member 62 so it has sides 110 and 112 and a bottom 114 which correspond to sides 68 and 70 and bottom 76 of member 62. The member may be extruded from a die having a cross section similar to that of member 108. However, if desired, the lower sides 72 and 74 may be cut from a member 62 to produce the member 108.

The member 108 may be secured to the deck 22 in any desired manner, such as at rivets 116 at suitable intervals. The member 108 may also be secured by intermittent or continuous welds 118 and/or 120, or both the rivets and welds. Alternatively or additionally, adhesive may be used as desired between the deck 22 and member 108.

The member 108 and the lower edges 106 of the lower side wall 28 may be secured together in a manner similar to or identical with the manner in which the lower edges 64 of the upper side wall 30 are attached to the upper open channel 64 and therefore description of such attachment is not here repeated. Briefly, locking members 84 and 86 and adhesive, which are used at the lower edges 64 of side wall 30, are also used at the lower edges 106 of side wall 28.

It is to be noted that a wedging action is produced by the slanting and hooking serrated inner surfaces 83 and 85. These slanting surfaces cause a wedging action as the members 84 and 86 are hammered in place. The hooking serrations lock the assembled parts together in an efiicient manner.

Certain words or adjectives describing direction or position, such as upper," lower, horizontal," vertical, etc., have been used for convenience in description. However, it is to be understood that the parts described positions, as desired.

It is thus to be seen that this invention provides an eflicient, strong, and relatively low cost construction. The construction is durable because of its non-corrosive nature, which is particularly useful in connection with ship or boat construction.

The components of the construction may largely be extrusions which are adapted to be easily extruded, by relatively simple dies.

The components are easily assembled by relatively easy construction steps such as simple hammering operations and the like.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by statute, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A construction comprising: a lower side wall including a plurality of vertically disposed, aligned and interlocked channel members with upper horizontally aligned edges; an upper side wall including a plurality of vertically disposed, aligned and interlocked channel members with lower horizontally aligned edges; a longitudinal, horizontally disposed double sided, double channel shaped member having a horizontally disposed and upwardly open channel defined by two flanges and a horizontally disposed and downwardly open channel defined by two flanges, said downwardly open channel fitting over said upper horizontally aligned edges of said lower side wall, and said upwardly disposed and upwardly open channel receiving said lower horizontally aligned edges of said upper side wall; and automatically locking members securing said horizontally aligned edges within said open channels, each locking member being wedged between one of said flanges and the respective side wall to frictionally hold the respective side wall against the other flange of the respective pair thereof, each locking member positively locking with said one flange, said locking members each comprising a solid, unitary wedge with diverging sides, with one of said sides having a serrated surface and cooperating with serrations on one of said flanges of said open channels automatically locking said horizontally aligned edges within said open channel.

2. A construction comprising: a lower side wall including a plurality of vertically disposed, aligned and interlocked channel members with upper horizontally aligned edges; an upper side wall including a plurality of vertically disposed, aligned and interlocked channel members with lower horizontally aligned edges; a longitudinal horizontally disposed, double sided, double channel shaped member having a horizontally disposed and upwardly open channel defined by two flanges and a horizontally disposed and downwardly open channel defined by two flanges, said downwardly open channel fitting over said upper horizontally aligned edges of said lower side wall, and said upwardly disposed and upwardly open channel receiving said lower horizontally aligned edges of said upper side wall; and automatically locking members securing said horizontally aligned edges within said open channels, each locking member being wedged between one of said flanges and the respective side Wall to frictionally hold the respective side wall against the other flange of the respective pair thereof, each locking member positively locking with said one flange, said locking members each being generally H-shaped with attaching sides, with one Of said sides having a serrated surface and cooperating with serrations on one of the flanges of said open channels automatically locking said horizontally aligned edges within said open channels.

3. A construction comprising: an H-shaped extrusion having oppositely directed pairs of flanges forming oppositely directed open channels, a flange of each pair having first longitudinal internal hooking serrations; a pair of aligned partitions having ends and with their ends extending respectively into said open channels; and locking members in said channels having second longitudinal hooking serrations hooked to said first serrations to wedge said partitions into frictional engagement with the other flanges of said pairs thereof and to positively lock with said serrated flanges.

4. A construction according to claim 3 in which said locking members each have two sides with said second hooking serrations on one of said sides of said respective locking members, and the other side of said respective locking members engaging an end of said respective partitions.

5. A construction according to claim 4 in which said other side of said respective locking members is adhesively secured to said end of said respective partitions.

6. A construction comprising: a U-shaped extrusion having a U-shaped channel formed by a pair of flanges, one of said flanges having first longitudinal internal hooking serrations; a partition having an end and with its end extending into said channel; and a locking member in said channel having second hooking serrations hooked to said first serrations to wedge said partition into frictional engagement with the other flange of said pair thereof and to positively lock with said serrated flange.

7. A construction according to claim 6 in which said locking member has two sides with said second hooking serrations on one of said sides, and the other side engaging said end of said partition.

8. A construction according to claim 7 in which the other side of said locking member is adhesively secured to said partition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 647,872 4/00 Pease 20-92] 1,706,470 3/29 Swanson 18934 1,779,880 10/30 Holzmann 11477 1,863,723 6/32 Levene l89-34 2,079,635 5/37 Sharp l8934 2,431,039 11/47 Harrison 114-77 X 2,808,136 10/57 Hammitt et al. 189-34 2,821,274 1/58 Olsen 18934 2,968,374 1/61 Bohnsack 189-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 193,592 11/57 Austria.

616,693 3/61 Canada.

557,951 2/57 Italy.

OTHER REFERENCES Designing with Aluminum Extrusions, published by Reynolds Metal Company, 1950. Figure 10 relied on.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Primary Examiner. EMILE PAUL, JACOB L, NACKENOFF, Examiners, 

1. A CONSTRTUCTION COMPRISING: A LOWER SIDE WALL INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED, ALIGNED AND INTERLOCKED CHANNEL MEMBERS WITH UPPE R HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED EDGES; AN UPPER SIDE WALL INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED, ALIGNED AND INTERLOCKED CHANNEL MEMBERS WITH LOWER HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED EDGES; A LONGITUDINAL, HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED DOUBLE SIDED, DOUBLE CHANNEL SHAPED MEMBER HAVING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AND UPWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL DEFINED BY TWO FLANGES AND A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AND DOWNWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL FITTING BY TWO FLANGES, SAID DOWNWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL FITTING OVER SAID UPPER HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED EDGES OF SAID LOWER SIDE WALL, AND SAID UPWARDLY DISPOSED AND UPWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL RECEIVING SAID LOWER HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED EDGES OF SAID UPPER SIDE WALL; AND AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING MEMBERS SECURING SAID HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED EDGES WITHIN SAID OPEN CHANNELS, EACH LOCKING MEMBER BEING WEDGED BETWEEN ONE OF SAID FLANGES AND THE RESPECTIVE SIDE WALL TO FRICTIONALLY HOLD THE RESPECTIVE SIDE WALL AGAINST THE OTHER FLANGE OF THE RESPECTIVE PAIR THEREOF, EACH LOCKING MEMBER POSITIVELY LOCKING WITH SAID ONE FLANGE, SAID LOCKING MEMBERS EACH COMPRISING A SOLID, UNITARY WEDGE WITH DIVERGING SIDES, WITH ONE OF SAID SIDES HAVING A SERRATED SURFACE AND COOPERATING WITH SERRATIONS ON ONE OF SAID FLANGES OF SAID OPEN CHANNELS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING SAID HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED EDGES WITHIN SAID OPEN CHANNEL. 